The first of two headliners on the Chaos & Carnage tour was Dying Fetus. Dying Fetus has been a staple of death metal since the early 90’s and has been an inspiration for a lot of bands, including several currently on tour with them (including their co-headliner). They’ve perfected that classic sound over the years and continue to be a household name in the genre.

This three-piece group wasted no time and jumped right into the show, with drummer Trey Williams egging the crowd on to mosh harder. It’s a rare treat when the drummer gets in on the fun, and always very much appreciated, as an already wild crowd somehow kicked it up another notch. The circle pit formed, taking up nearly the entire main floor, surrounding the most violent pit I’ve personally ever witnessed. With kicking, slamming, and windmilling, no one could escape. One brave soul stood right in the enter of the pit just vibing, simple pushing people away as they ran into him. And none of this deterred the crowdsurfers. I ended up getting kicked in the face so hard by one that my glasses flew on stage. That’s a first for me!

All of this was going on while Dying Fetus played their set. Their drum-heavy songs only encouraged everyone to go even harder, especially with near-nonstop cymbol crashes at times. It was a brutal sound from a brutal band for their brutal fans.